IWC Scum — Gossiping About the Girl’s Royal Rumble Match (Who Returns, Who Wins and Who Faces Who at WrestleMania)
Welcome back to the column that puts the incessant whining and complaining in IWC. I’m some goof named SkitZ who they foolishly granted posting access to, and this is my spoof of a respectable op-ed piece.
After covering the men’s side of things earlier last week, it didn’t seem right to just gloss over the women’s Royal Rumble match. Especially given how much more interesting and unpredictable the path is for the ladies from here to WrestleMania 42. I also wanted to touch on a couple of the storylines heading into Riyadh, and how it affects the next three months of build. Let’s kick this bitch off with who’s likely to return in the Rumble bout itself.
Tiffany: After getting ragdolled around the ring for months by current champ Jade Cargill, Stratton was given the holidays to heal up and find a new guy to replace Ludwig with. Judging by the workout videos she’s been posting recently and her involvement in all this promotion for Mania, you would assume Tiffy is due back by the 31st. To do what exactly moving forward is anyone’s guess. Stratton doesn’t really fit in the World Title picture at the moment, so perhaps she pursues the United States Championship instead and gives Giulia somebody of actual substance to feud with? Not that WWE would ever have said belt defended at WrestleMania…
Trish: This one’s more of a GOAT making her annual appearance type scenario. A timely pop mixed with some nostalgia never hurt the quality of a Royal Rumble. Whether she sticks around for a couple months is another story. I’m inclined to say it’s a one-off, unless Stratus returns for a short run with Stratton to add another dangerous combination to the already stacked tag team division.
AJ Lee: Well, at least wrestling fans won’t have to throw another bitch fit over her not returning in the Women’s Rumble match since she’s a lock this year. Following a book tour which forced Mrs. Punk to miss the majority of the past four months, I fully expect AJ to resurface at the PLE and resume her rivalry with Becky. Lee cost Lynch the Intercontinental Title in late November, and the next logical step in furthering their feud is having AJ eliminate the champ from the Rumble. These two seem to be the only sure thing when it comes to the WM42 card. The eventual outcome is fairly obvious, but Lee becoming the IC Champ will provide a feelgood moment, as well as set her up nicely to work with some other talent on RAW in the aftermath.
Brie Bella: Is anyone outside of her family and a few Total Divas fangirls actually excited for this? Probably not, but it feels unavoidable now that Nikki is back in WWE and searching for some new direction creatively. The heel turn and execution were handled pretty well, but where do they go with Nikki now that her World Title feud with Vaquer has gone kaput? You could easily book The Bella Twins as entitled stars of yesteryear who are hell bent on teaching these new chicks a lesson. I mean it’s practically art imitating life anyway. That’s assuming Brie doesn’t show up strictly for a spot in the Women’s Rumble to assist her more talented sibling.
Paige: Your boy SkitZ could be way off base here, but the first-ever NXT Women’s Champion is bound to come home sooner rather than later. Her AEW run didn’t go quite as planned, but I believe the blame falls on both the company and Paige herself for not executing to the best of their abilities. Can the anti-Diva rediscover her groove? Only time will tell, but I suspect she’ll fit in about as well as Nikki Bella has since returning to action last summer. Solid on the stick, happy to help out the next generation, and maybe a step or two slower than the current crop of women. Fortunately, that’s a position Paige excels in. The comeback queen if you will.
Bianca: Last and least certain to make her presence felt in the Rumble match, we haven’t the slightest clue whether or not Belair’s been medically cleared to compete yet. Bianca’s pesky hand injury has sidelined The EST for the better part of a year in the absolute prime of her career. Gotta feel for the woman being indefinitely shelved amidst a cloud of uncertainty. At least her husband Montez can relate. If Bianca does emerge as a participant in the 2026 Royal Rumble, I’d consider her a heavy favorite to win the whole thing. As much as WWE’s teased a showdown between Jade and Charlotte, Cargill has some unfinished business with The EST following her falling out with Naomi. A personal matter that the former best friends were never able to settle due to Belair’s extended absence.
As for Jade’s title reign up to this point, all I have to say is… yikes. Here I was thinking Creative just needed to turn Cargill heel and unleash her on the SmackDown roster. That felt like the winning recipe for unlocking Jade’s true potential. And WWE has technically done that; just not in a way that’s benefited her onscreen persona or connection with the crowd.
In establishing this new villainous version of Cargill, the company has opted for the ‘less is more’ approach with her at a crucial juncture where we wanna see further growth and character development from the reigning Women’s Champion. Jade’s been showcased on TV in such small serving sizes that it doesn’t give fans any reason to really care or invest on a deeper level. Triple H & Co. probably think this type of booking makes the 2025 Queen of the Ring look strong, when in reality it just feels like they’re going to great lengths to protect Cargill and mask her weaknesses. The fact that Jade hasn’t defended the title once since winning it on the first day of November isn’t helping her cause either. Certain circles are lobbying for it to be done with already by having Cargill drop the belt to newcomer Jordynne Grace, which isn’t going to happen. I also don’t love a female star being built up in NXT and promoted to the main roster just to immediately take L’s in big matches. That’s no bueno.
Meanwhile, it’s appearing more and more likely that Stephanie Vaquer won’t be defending her title at the Royal Rumble thanks to a series of beatdowns courtesy of “Big Sexy” Raquel Rodriquez. Not gonna lie… I’ve grown a bit bored of La Primera over the course of her first run as World Heavyweight Champion. Vaquer’s matches never fail to deliver, but Hunter has booked her far too conservatively since September, and you get a sense that people are ready for something different.
The change I’m referring to is none other than Raquel, who grew by leaps and bounds throughout 2025 in every key facet of her game. So much so that Rodriquez went from simply being a formidable bodyguard for Liv Morgan to feeling like she’s been owed a World Heavyweight Title reign since Naomi vacated it last summer. Will Stephanie still be champion come WrestleMania? Because Raquel seems destined to win it long before then. While the winner of the women’s Royal Rumble match remains a mystery to me, I’m fairly confident it will be a member of the Judgment Day who ultimately gets their hand raised.
If we’re going strictly by momentum, Rodriquez should win it in dominant fashion. Orrr maybe Morgan turns on Raquel and eliminates her to win the Rumble? Or perhaps the company throws us a Jey Uso-sized curveball by booking Roxanne Perez as the unlikely winner? Either way, I predict three or possibly even four of these women end up in the World Heavyweight Title match at WM42. Liv versus Raquel would be the payoff in a perfect world, although WWE logic suggests that it turns into a triple threat or fatal 4-way involving Stephanie and Roxy. I’d be happy with any of those scenarios, so long as Rodriquez walks out of Las Vegas as champ.
Then there’s the current Tag Team Champions, who are arguably the two biggest female stars in the company right now. Either Iyo or Rhea could win the 2026 Royal Rumble, and it wouldn’t surprise anybody. I’m sure Ripley versus Vaquer has been heavily discussed for Mania, and with Sky enjoying a career year in ‘25, she has to be in consideration for a top spot on the card as well. However, the team of Rhiyo has been firing on all cylinders for the last several months, and they’re leading the charge in terms of this renaissance we’re witnessing within the women’s tag team division. Therefore smart money suggests Iyo & Rhea will be defending their titles come WM42, or at the very least competing for them.
Against whom though? The tag scene is so ridiculously loaded that it’s hard to imagine there only being one set of challengers at WrestleMania. And then what do you do with all these other deserving tag teams trying to make it onto the show? Crowded field, right? That’s why I believe WWE seriously needs to consider revisiting what they did at WMXL with the men’s Tag Titles, which is to put the belts on the line in a multi-team ladder bout. Picture Rhiyo taking on Charlexa, the Kabuki Warriors, Nia Jax & Lash Legend, Bayley & Lyra, etc. You could even toss Nattie & Maxxine in there should the angle take a turn, and Dupri lands in some weird sub/dom relationship with Neidhart. Or Giulia and the tagalong after the powers-that-be inevitably fail her again… I’m just spitballing here!
That route would definitely check off a bunch of boxes as far as what to do with all this female talent at WrestleMania. Aside from the United States Title scene of course, where pushes and creative juices are sent to be sucked dry by the unreal dope that is Road Dogg. If the lead writer of SmackDown were a true friend, he’d swap roles with R-Truth and demote himself to enhancement talent for the betterment of everyone involved.
Nevertheless, who do you expect to win the Women’s Royal Rumble Match this year? How do you envision the ladies’ side of the card playing out at WrestleMania 42? Is it only a matter of days before the IWC begins accusing Iyo Sky of sleeping her way to the top after monkey-hugging the boss in gorilla? And do you foresee me ever growing tired of shitting on Road Dogg? Hit me with your craptastic thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.